Consequences
by dkerr
Summary: Willow uses magic to bring Buffy back, and now must deal with consequences.
1. Default Chapter

DISCLAIMER The Characters, xcept for Stephan , and Amanda Oeters, are not mine, borrowed  
without permission.  
  
Title Consequences  
  
  
""I do". A fist to the ear sent one demon tumbling away, while a well placed boot  
shattered the ribs of another. I tore a third of the Slayer, which left one for her to handle. I thought  
her more than capable, while I used my fangs to rip the throat of the one I fought, before turning to  
the others.  
  
As a vampire, my sensibilities were somewhat less than the norm of humanity. I will not  
apologize for lacking the time for finesse.  
  
"Slayer" I roared as my opponent fell, "my car is at the entrance, by the gate. "Can you  
make it."  
  
"Yeah, as soon as I make sure no more is about."  
  
"More are coming. I will not make saving your ass a career. Move or be left behind."   
Without bothering to look to see what she was doing, I whirled and sprinted for the entrance.   
Thudding feet told me that the Slayer was following, though I didn't believe that she was all happy.  
  
I was through the passenger door, and had the engine gunning by the time she had slammed  
the door shut. The door was not yet shut before I slammed the pedal to the metal.  
  
"Okay what the hell was that all about."  
  
"Your death Slayer, had I not been there." In truth I had just arrived in Sunnydale, and was  
headed for Magic Box, when I noted the sounds of fighting in the cemetery. I would have driven  
by, had I had I not had he feeling that I should investigate.  
  
It was good that I had. The demons were determined to rid themselves of the Slayer, for  
the third time, and had come across a strategy that would have earned them their goal. Four had  
fought, while fifteen more waited in the bushes. Eventually, the Slayer would have died.  
  
"Well thanks for the save, but I could of handled it."  
  
I never said anything. Just concentrated on getting all of us to the Magic Box in time. I  
couldn't trust that the demons hadn't had a back up plan. Besides, the Slayer wasn't their target.   
Another was.  
  
A cross bow feathered carcass was outside the front entrance when we got there, and the  
sound of figthing came from inside. The car was barely stopped before both the Slayer and I were  
racing through the door.   
  
Two demons were inside. Rupert Giles and Xander were fending off one while, Willow,  
Anya, and Tara and Spike battled the other. I took one, the Slayer took the other.  
  
Soon the fighting was over, and and quiet replaced the sounds of strife.  
  
"Ste-Stephan."  
  
  
Of course, I recognized the voice, coming from behind me.  
  
Without conscious thought, I spun and back handed Willow across the room.   
  
I don't know how hard she hit. But I heard the crunch of bones as she hit the wall.  
  
Utter, shocked silence fell over the room.  
  
Then pandemonium broke out. Spike was the first to react, but i'm older, faster, stronger,  
and used his momentum to grab, spin and throw him at the Slayer, who barely had time to jerk that  
stake out of the way before he hit. I batted a book Xander threw, at Giles, disrupting his aim with  
the cross bow, and took him out with an uppercut.  
  
The other three were wise enough to stay out of reach, and it took a few minutes for the  
Slayer and the vampire and the watcher to untangle themselves, and by the time they were ready to  
rejoin the fray, a harsh voice rang out.  
  
"STOP!"  
  
Willow had crawled up, from where she'd crumpled, and sat leaning against the wall. "No  
more." She glared at me. "I suppose you have a reason."  
  
I wasn't too worried about the Watcher, though Rupert giles was always a dangerous man.   
Spike and buffy were another matter, so I didn't let down my guard. Neither did they, but they  
didn't attack.  
  
"Okay, you got a few minutes, for Willow. Better make it good."  
  
I paid scant attention to the Slayer. Merely walked over to see that there was no serious  
damge to my Servant. Her eyes followed mine, defiantly, apprehensive.  
  
"I suppose you're mad, just like everybody else, cause I used magic to bring buffy back."  
  
"There is a balance, a rhythm between the rise and fall of life. Even for Slayers. One dies  
and another is chosen. How did you plan to deal with the consequences of your action?"  
  
"Consequences, what consequences. There have been no consequences. Have there?"  
  
I hissed. 'Do you mean to tell me that you chose to upset the natural balance of things, with  
no plan to deal with the consequences of your actions?"  
  
Willow slumped. "What happened."  
  
"Walls weakened, extradimensional creatures walked the Earth, my sister and I were kept  
busy dealing with the consequences of your actions." I speared her with an eye. 'You came to the  
attention of those who would use you to their own ends. I found Buffy dealing with some of those  
consequences. She might find herself dealing with that for some time to come."  
  
"Thanks Will,: the Slayer muttered. "Just what I needed."  
  
"Well I'm sorry," Willow screamed, anger flecking her eyes. "Sorry I ever thought the  
world would be better with Buffy in it, rather than not. Sorry for wanting my friend back, and the  
next time I see Athena, I'll apologize to her too. But she's back. Deal with it."  
  
"For countless centuries," my voice grew bleak, " my sister was with me. Now she is  
dead, killed while dealing with it."  
  
That took the fight out of Willow. "I'm sorry," she whispered sinking down to the floor. "I  
didn't know anything would happen."  
  
"That disappoints me more than what you did."  
  
"My words hung in the air, and she hid her face.  
  
"Every action has a reaction. When the action is natural, the reaction is equal and natural.   
When magic is used, who knows what the reaction will be, and not necessarily equal or natural."  
  
Okay, okay, I'll help you deal, if I ever find the time."  
  
I raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Giles has me cataloguing his book collection, and writing summaries of sections he sets  
out, and when I'm not doing that, I'm writing lines. I haven't written lines since grade school."  
  
I transferred the eyebrow to the Watcher. He shrugged. "It was the only way I knew to  
teach her that every action has its consequence. I'm not sure its working."  
  
"Neither do I, but idle hands do the devil's work, or some say. I have a couple truckloads  
of books I'm not using, if you want, I'll send them here. Still, that should not deter her from taking  
on the additional task I have in mind for her."  
  
Willow glared at me. "Oh, and what task is that?"  
  
"One dies and another is chosen."  
  
"Cryptic much."  
  
I turned to face Xander. "I wouldn't involve you, if I had any other choice."  
  
"Involve me, how?"  
  
"I need a Watcher. I would like you to consider the position."  
  
"What.... but they don't even like me, keep calling me boy"  
  
"If I could do this myself I would, but the Council would never accept me, and I am too  
busy chasing around willy nilly across the world, dealing with the aftereffects of Willow's spell."  
  
"But...."  
  
"The Council will accept you're on the job experience with the current Slayer and her  
Watcher in lieu of more formal training. But they do reserve the right to send instructors. They  
also ask that you work under Giles' supervision for a time."  
  
"But...."  
  
"You will be a full Watcher, with a trust fund, from which you may draw what expenses  
you deem necessary."  
  
"Wouldn't Giles be better..."  
  
"Mr. Giles will be busy with the current Slayer."  
  
"But..."  
  
"There is truly no other choice. If you do not do this, I may have to abandon her to the  
mercies of Social Services. Who will, no doubt, find her a suitable home with suitable foster  
parents, but she was the Slayer, and whomever they find will be ill prepared to handle what  
dangers may follow, and will be endangered themselves. With you, she has a chance."  
  
"Wait, whoa, back the steam engine up. What she? You say she was the Slayer?"  
  
"One dies another is called."  
  
"I could be her Watcher." I glanced at my servant. "There's no need for Xander to pay for  
what I did."  
  
"The Council will not accept you," I told her. "You have shown a willingness to use dark  
magic a little too often for that."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"So if I don't do this, this girl goes to a foster home, at least until some ugly gets to her, and  
probably the family who took her in. But, you said she was the Slayer, didn't you? Isn't she still  
the Slayer? What happened to her Watcher?"  
  
I pulled a cell phone out of my pocket, and pushed a couple buttons. "Yeah," a sleepy  
voice answered.  
  
"You may come in now."  
  
The front door tinkled and a young girl entered. No more than thirteen, she looked several  
years older, with mousy brown hair wisping around a rather plain face. She looked around, and  
sidled over to stand beside me. Her eyes fixed on Giles.  
  
"Watcher," she asked, a mixture of hope and dread in her voice..  
  
"To the current Slayer."   
  
Her eyes narrowed as she spotted Buffy. With a guttural scream, she launched a round  
house kick that sat a surprised Slayer on her back side. The Slayer bounced back, to find me  
standing between her and Amanda. A well placed hand restrained Amanda while the Slayer  
pondered the benefits and pitfalls of trying to go through me to beat on a thirteen year old child.  
  
"Who is she,"Buffy snarled, "and what's she doing here."  
  
"Her name is Amanda Peters. She is, was, the Slayer chosen after Buffy died. She  
received the strength, the stamina, the determination and the essence of the Slayer. When Buffy  
returned to life, or rather was brought back to life, she lost the strength, the stamina, and the  
essence of the Slayer. But not the determination, or that quality that marked her to the underworld  
as Slayer. She and her Watcher were taken." I stabbed my servant with an eye. It took me six  
days to find her. Six days in which she was forced to watch her Watcher tortured. She, the  
Watcher, died only moments before I breached the door."  
  
I looked at Buffy. "She knows she is no longer the active Slayer. But she still has the  
determination, the mentality that she must protect her Watcher. Something she failed to do because  
her Slayerness was stripped from her and restored to you. Hence the attack."  
  
The room was silent when I finished speaking. In typical fashion, it was Xander who  
spoke.  
  
"So if I'm going to be her Watcher, I'm going to need a bigger place."  
  
"Xander," Buffy protested. "You shouldn't..."  
  
"I must agree with Buffy," Giles spoke. "This is a big decision, and you, and er Anya,  
should take some time to think it over."  
  
"What's the choice," Xander shrugged, trying to sound chipper but hiding the fear I could  
smell. "You heard him, if I don't, ....well I can't just throw her to the wolves, er vamps, er  
whatever.'  
  
"I suppose you can't," Giles sighed and rubbed his nose. "You have my support, and all  
the help I can offer."  
  
"Me too," Willow affirmed, and looked at Buffy who had remained pretty much silent .   
"Buffy?"  
  
"Oh what the hell, I'll help too. Though you handed me quite a plateful, so I don't know  
what I can do."  
  
Amanda sensing the change in the room left my side, and approached Xander.  
  
"Watcher?"  
  
"Yeah kid, I guess I am."  
  
Amanda turned and glared at Buffy."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Xander gets a promise from Willow

"Where is she?" The Slayer stalked towards Xander, steel fire in her eyes.   
  
"Ahh, Buff, you know I can't tell you." Xander backed up hastily until his back was  
against the wall.  
  
In truth, he didn't know. When Amanda had returned from a patrol, she had gone on depite  
Xander's orders, dragging the Slayer's body, with a huge grin on her face, Xander had lost no time  
in getting Anya to get her out of Dodge. The Slayer wasn't going to be happy when she woke up,  
and he wished he could go with her.  
  
"She tasered me," The Slayer hissed. "Do you know what that feels like?"  
  
"Er, ah, no I don't, but I can imagine. At least, she left out the staking part, and she did  
bring you here."  
  
"Oh I am so grateful," said Buffy with deceptive sweetness," to have been spared that so I  
could be hauled home like some trophy."  
  
"Uh, if it helps, she said you were even."  
  
"Even?" Buffy grabbed a fistful of Xander. "What do you mean even. I DID NOTHING."  
  
"Buffy? Let him go Buffy."  
  
She turned to see Willow standing in the door, behind her, Giles.  
  
"What are you doing here?"  
  
"Anya phoned. She said that Amanda had brought you home. What happened?"  
  
"The little vixen tasered me." Buffy let Xander fall to the ground. "I was out on patrol,  
doing my thing you know, when I felt a sting in the back of my neck. Then it was like being  
attached to a car battery, which was the last thing I felt before I woke up here."  
  
"Oh dear."  
  
"Oh dear what?"  
  
"I'm afraid she still blames you for what happened to her former Watcher."  
  
"Oh, and Xander thinks I should be grateful she skipped the staking part."  
  
"The staking part?" Giles tirmed a querying eye on Xander. "Just what have you been  
teaching her?"  
  
Xander sighed. "She's still determined that she should go on patrol. I've tried to explain  
to her that she isn't the Slayer and she doesn't have to do patrols anymore. I've nailed her window  
shut, flat out ordered her not to leave her room, but she keeps going. For once, we got a Slayer  
who actually wants to go out slaying, except she doesn't have the strength or anything like that she  
needs, so I thought it best to give her as much of an advantage as I could. So I got this taser gun,  
and souped it up enough to stun a vampire, so she could stake it without getting hurt."  
  
"I am a Vampire Slayer, not a Vampire. There is a difference"  
  
"Yeah, I know," Xander's voice nearly rose to a shout. "That's something we've never  
forgotten, and I'm sure Amanda knows that too, but she's hurt and she's angry and she's lashing out  
at the one she thinks is a reason behind all that hurt and anger. I'll try to explain to her once again,  
that none of it is your fault, and she really shouldn't focus all that hurt and anger on you, but then  
I've got to present her with another target, or else its going to get all bottled up inside her until she  
goes off in all directions. So I've got to channel it some how, and if she's gonna go off slaying  
despite anything I can do to stop her, then part of my job is to make sure she gets back alive."  
  
"Maybe a spell..."  
  
Xander's jaw dropped, and he stared at his best friend. Then it started. A low chuckle,  
barely loud enough to be heard. Which grew in crescendo to a high pitched cackle.  
  
"Xan..." Buffy stared at her Xander shaped friend. She had seen Xander in many ways,  
but never like this. "Xan..."  
  
For a while Xander couldn't answer. Tears ran freely down his cheeks, and violent  
hiccoughs wracked his body, interspersed with wild laughter.  
  
"She just doesn't get it does she," he gasped, talking to nobody in particular. "Magick is  
what got us into this mess. Glory wanted to use magick to open a portal, which Buffy had to die to  
close. Though what ever process, probably magick related, Amanda became the Slayer. More  
magick was used to bring Buffy back, and restore her as the Slayer. That robbed Amanda of her  
Slayerness, which led to her first Watcher being tortured to death." Xander cocked an eyebrow.   
"So Will, what you planning on doing to her this time?'  
  
"But..."  
  
Xander stopped her with an upraised hand.   
  
"Whatever problems we have with Amanda can be, will be, taken care of without the use  
of magick."  
  
"But..."  
  
Xander sighed, then stuck his right hand out, pinkie finger stretched out.  
  
"Will, you once told me that a pinkie sworn promise can never be broken, no matter what.   
And you never broke one that you made, or let me break one. Remember?"  
  
"Yes but...."  
  
"Willow, I'm not so stupid as to think you'll never use magick again, cause I know you  
will. But I want you to pinkie swear to me that you will never use magick on Amanda."  
  
"But what if..."  
  
Xander didn't give her a chance to finish. With a despairing sigh, he rose to his feet and  
turned to face his childhood friend.  
  
"Just go, and stay away from Amanda."  
  
Willow jerked as if she'd just been slapped. Buffy looked surprised. Giles just looked,  
well like Giles.  
  
"No. Strike that. I had Anya take her out of town. Tomorrow, I'll join them, and we won't  
be coming back."  
  
"What, but you can't..."  
  
"What would you have me do Will? She's my responsiblility, I'm her Watcher. Maybe I  
shouldn't have taken the job, but I did, so I gotta do what I think is right, and if that means moving  
her away from you and your magick, then that's what I'm going to have to do." Xander smiled. "I  
knew I had to protect her from the night life here, and maybe get between her and Buffy, which,  
might I add, is a very scary place to be, but I never thought I'd have to protect her from my best  
friend."   
  
Xander turned and started to walk out of the room. Part of him was aware that he was  
being rude. Part of him didn't care. Something had died here this night, and he couldn't bear to be  
there. He just reached the door, when two angry words were spit out.  
  
"You won't"  
  
He turned to face an angry Willow.  
  
"I always knew you were predjudiced against magick, or maybe it's just power envy,  
cause you got none, so you throw your weight around where you can. Okay, if it makes you feel  
better I promise, I won't use magick on Amanda."  
  
"Pinkie Swear?" Xander held out his hand, little finger extended.  
  
Willow curled her little finger around it, then jerked it away. "Pinkie Swear," she hissed,  
in a voice that would have melted asbestos.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	3. Willow talks to Tara




End file.
